Sia Says She Tries to “Choose the Best” for Maddie Ziegler Following Criticism

“I feel very protective of her.”

Sia is opening up about her relationship with Maddie Ziegler after discussion about helping bring the 15-year-old dancer into the worldwide spotlight.

In a piece for The Guardian titled "The Sia conundrum: if fame is so damaging, why pass it on to a child?" writer Bonnie Malkin explores the relationship between the "Chandelier" singer and the teen performer. In the past, Sia has taken a critical eye to the lack of privacy that comes with fame. Bonnie points out that while, over the past couple of years, Sia has hidden with large, oversize wigs, she has seemingly let Maddie be exposed. Bonnie writes, "But that doesn’t rub out the fact that, in this case, the grown-up who has seen what fame can do and fears it has, perhaps unwittingly, handed it over to the child instead."

Many people online agreed with the points that Bonnie brought up. One person wrote, "I've enjoyed the Sia-Maddie Ziegler combo. But, Malkin brings up a good point," along with retweeting the article. Another person tweeted, "This is a very good article to read and it's great to see that Sia cares about Maddie. And as she said, it's a conversation we should all be having."

Following the criticism, Sia addressed the article on Twitter Wednesday night. In a thread, she reveals that she often thinks about this subject herself and says that she's protective of Maddie, her goal being to empower her. The singer writes:

This article poses a question I have asked myself often. I do check in with Maddie weekly about whether she wants this, and assure her if she ever wants it to stop it stops. It's a conversation we should all be having. Not just myself but all directors, stage parents and agents. With their children, clients, charges. Maddie was already famous when I discovered her, but I have certainly expanded her exposure and feel responsible for that. I feel very protective of her and my goal is to empower her in whatever choices she makes. Some would argue a teenager can't or shouldn't be charged with making sound choices for themselves and so I do try to choose the best for her always. But I think this is an important conversation. What I learned from Maddie is that fame affects her differently than how it affected me. I can only trust that she is telling me the truth. If that changes, we stop.

It's reassuring to hear Sia's own thoughts on the situation and that she trusts Maddie to make a call on how much she works. But until we hear from Maddie herself, we won't exactly know her perspective.